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Hafez Ghazal 478: ⁧نوش کن جام شراب یک منی⁩

Hafez poetry book, pomegranate and candle in a Persian garden at night.

Ghazal 478 of Hafez (6 couplets), in the original Persian as on Ganjoor, with a transliteration, a plain English translation, the meanings of key words and the traditional fâl-e Hâfez reading.

Read it word by wordTake your own fâl

COUPLET 1
نوش کن جامِ شرابِ یک منیتا بِدان بیخِ غم از دل برکَنی
nush kon jâm-e sharâb-e yek mani / tâ bedân bikh-e gham az del barkani
Drink down a cup of wine a full measure deep, so that with it you tear the root of sorrow from your heart.
COUPLET 2
دل، گشاده دار چون جامِ شرابسر گرفته چند چون خُمّ دَنی
del goshâde dâr chon jâm-e sharâb / sar gerefte chand chon khom-e dani
Keep your heart open like a wine cup; how long will you stay sealed up like a lowly jar?
COUPLET 3
چون ز جام بی‌خودی رطلی کشیکم زنی از خویشتن لافِ منی
chon ze jâm-e bikhodi ratli keshi / kam zani az khishtan lâf-e mani
Once you drain a measure from the cup of selflessness, you will boast less of your "I".
COUPLET 4
سنگسان شو، در قدم نی همچو آبجمله رنگ‌آمیزی و تَردامنی
sang-sân sho dar ghadam ney hamcho âb / jomle rang-âmizi o tardâmani
Be like a stone, steady in your step, not like water, all shifting colors and wet hems.
COUPLET 5
دل به مِی دربند تا مردانه‌وارگردن سالوس و تقوا بشکنی
del be mey darband tâ mardâne-vâr / gardan-e sâlus o taghvâ beshkani
Tie your heart to wine, so that like a brave man you break the neck of hypocrisy and showy piety.
COUPLET 6
خیز و جهدی کن چو حافظ تا مگرخویشتن در پای معشوق افکنی
khiz o jahdi kon cho Hâfez tâ magar / khishtan dar pâ-ye ma'shugh afkani
Rise and make an effort like Hafez, so that perhaps you may throw yourself at the beloved's feet.

What this fâl tells you

This fal tells you to open your heart instead of keeping it sealed and heavy. Tradition reads it as advice to let go of self-importance and of worrying about how you look to others. Be steady and sincere in your step, make a real effort, and you may reach the one you love.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: none. qâfiye: -ani (mani, barkani, dani, tardâmani, beshkani, afkani). In beyt 3, mani means "I-ness, ego", playing on mani "a measure" in beyt 1.

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
نوشnushdrink! (= benush) (بنوش) dictionary
کنkondo! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary
jâmcup dictionary
sharâbwine dictionary
یکyekone dictionary
manisomeone like me (chon mani) dictionary
tâto, until; so that dictionary
bedânto that (point) (= be ân) (به آن)
bikhroot dictionary
ghamsorrow, grief dictionary
delheart dictionary
گشادهgoshâdeopen dictionary
dârkeep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
sarhead; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary
گرفتهgereftetaken; khun-gerefte = soaked in blood dictionary
چندchandhow long? dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
keshiyou draw dictionary
کمkamless dictionary
zaniyou strike; dam zadan = to talk dictionary
khishtanoneself, one's own (خود) dictionary
لافlâfboast dictionary
maniI-ness, egoism; lâf-e mani = boasting of oneself dictionary
shobecome! be! (بشو) dictionary
darin; door dictionary
قدمghadamstep dictionary
neynot (= na) (نه) dictionary
همچوhamcholike (مثل)
âbwater; stream dictionary
jomleall (همه) dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
meywine (شراب) dictionary
darbandbind! tie (your heart)! (ببند) dictionary
گردنgardanneck dictionary
sâlushypocrisy, false piety (ریاکاری)
taghvâpiety dictionary
beshkaniyou break dictionary
khizrise! get up! (برخیز)
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
مگرmagarperhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary
pâfoot; az pâ oftâdan = to collapse dictionary
معشوقma'shughbeloved dictionary
afkaniyou throw dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 478. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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